(27 July 2012) -- 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona Champions Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian is pleased to announce the appointment of Ed Daood as Team Manager. Daood first worked with the team at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and joined the squad full time ahead of the 2012 racing season.

Working with manufacturers and young drivers, Daood has long been a fixture in the IndyCar ranks, playing a key role at Tasman Motorsports as the team scored Honda's first IndyCar race win at New Hampshire in 1996 and nearly won the Indianapolis 500 that same year with Scott Goodyear. Daood was the Crew Chief for Danica Patrick and Ryan Hunter-Reay during a long engagement at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

"Ed has a lot of experience at all levels of the sport and having someone with that perspective is a big asset for my team," said Shank. "He knows how I want to go racing, and how to have the organization in place so that we can deliver reliable, fast race cars week in and week out. He's been in Columbus for years and we've all known him from one team or another and it's great to have him under our roof. This will allow me to work on some other projects and focus more on the big picture with this team."

Daood has lived in the Columbus, Ohio, area for two decades and brings an extensive racing resume to the Michael Shank Racing organization. For Daood, the move reflects a range of long term relationships with several key Michael Shank Racing personnel as he looks to build on his already successful history in the sport.

"I first worked with Dale (Wise, Technical Director, Michael Shank Racing) back in 1990 at Truesports, so I go a ways back with a lot of these guys," said Daood. "Mike (Shank) has assembled a really good group of guys--a really talented and dedicated group. The focus for me is to make sure that we are operating in the most efficient, organized way possible and that our car preparation is as strong as it can be. Mike has a very clear vision of the future for his organization, and having me be responsible for managing more of the day to day for the team will allow Mike to spend more time growing the team and preparing for the future."

"I'm proud of having worked with a lot of good, young drivers like Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and Danica (Patrick) and being a part of them winning Rookie of the Year at the Speedway and building on that experience," said Daood. "Winning the first race for Honda back in 1996 was a great experience. With some of the upcoming possible projects we are working on, earning success for new technologies is something that I'm hoping we are a part of again in the future."